Sydney Freeland – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

WEEK IN WOMEN: Sydney Freeland’s REZ BALL looks to score on Netflix – Brandy McDonnell reports

September 25, 2024September 28, 2024 Brandy McDonnell basketball, Chuska, Ernest Tsosie III, Jessica Matten, Julia Jones, Kauchani Bratt, Kusem Goodwind, Michael Powell, Native American, Navajo Nation, netflix, New Mexico, Rez Ball, Sterlin Harjo, Sydney Freeland

Navaho filmmaker Sydney Freeland’s Native American basketball drama Rez Ball is tipping off Sept. 27 on Netflix. Rez Ball is a sports drama that follows the Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from Chuska, New Mexico, that must band together after losing their star player if they want to keep their quest for a state championship alive. It’s an all-American underdog story about Navajo kids and coaches told from an all-American perspective that has too often been overlooked.

Reviews

REZ BALL – Review by Ann Lewinson

September 19, 2024September 25, 2024 Ann Lewinson basketball, Chuska, Ernest Tsosie III, Jessica Matten, Julia Jones, Kauchani Bratt, Kusem Goodwind, Michael Powell, Native American, Navajo Nation, netflix, New Mexico, Rez Ball, Sterlin Harjo, Sydney Freeland

Much like Friday Night Lights, high school basketball is everything in sparsely populated, remote Chuska, New Mexico. But for the Chuska Warriors, expectations are lowered after the team loses its star player Nataanii Jackson (Kusem Goodwind). It falls on his best friend, Jimmy Holiday (Kauchani Bratt, a former high school basketball player making a solid acting debut) and the team’s coach, retired WNBA player Heather Hobbs (Jessica Matten) to rally the team. But the low morale Jimmy and his teammates struggle with isn’t just situational—it’s systemic. Movies like this aren’t called “inspirational” for nothing. So while Rez Ball may not be a slam dunk, it gets the job done.

Festivals

TIFF 2024: Female Filmmaker Preview – Rachel West reports

August 21, 2024August 21, 2024 Rachel West angelina jolie, Coralie Fargeat, elizabeth lo, Female Filmmaker, gia coppola, Halina Reijn, Julie Delpy, Marielle Heller, mati diop, rachel morrison, Sydney Freeland, TIFF 2024

Of the 278 films playing at TIFF in 2024, according to our calculations, approximately 25% are directed or co-directed by women – a number down from the festival’s all-time high of 45% women-directed films in the pandemic-era 2020 online-only festival. Women-helmed films comprised 36% of the festival lineup in 2019 and 2023. Though TIFF may have to make leaps and bounds to reach gender parity, there are still a number of women-helmed films directed by cinematic stalwarts, up-and-comers, and award winners scheduled to hit the screen at the 2024 festival. With more than 65 films, series, and shorts directed by women, there are many opportunities to take in female-helmed films this festival, which runs September 5th through 15th.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: Sydney Freeland to helm basketball drama REZ BALL – Brandy McDonnell reports

August 25, 2021August 29, 2021 Brandy McDonnell LeBron James, netflix, Rez Ball, sports, Sterlin Harjo, Sydney Freeland

Navajo director Sydney Freeland (Drunktown’s Finest) is helming the Native American basketball drama Rez Ball. The film follows the Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from Chuska, New Mexico, that must band together after losing their star player if they want to keep their quest for a state championship alive. It’s an all-American underdog story about Navajo kids and coaches told from the inside-out.